ShadowScales: A poisoner's Mission
by whitetiger62512
Summary: Han-Lei is a ShadowScale, and master of poisons. When his mission for the brotherhood is interrupted by being caught up in an ambush for the leader of the rebellion in Skyrim, he will be thrown in with another brother of dark Brotherhood. A Drummer named Steel, who was in the wrong place at the right time. Han-Lei will do anything to finish his mission.
1. Chapter 1

The escape

Han-Lei Tibercalees glared at his surroundings as the cart banged along the road, a stirring across from him caught his eye and made him growl. The Drummer was waking up, his growl caught the attention of the other prisoners, three humans one gaged and two not, they also watched the Drummer wake up. Han-Lei tensed as the Drummer locked eyes with him, and Han-Lei bared his teeth as much as the muzzle the imperials had placed on him allowed.

"Hey, your awake, looks like you got caught up in this damn war to." The scared human of the trio of humans said.

"I completed my job, so I just need to escape." The Drummer responded, the gagged human grunted and rolled his eyes.

"Hiss!" Whack, Han-Lei's tail smacked the gagged human up side the head. If there was one thing he hated more than the Drummer it was this man the Jarl of Windhelm, the man was known for his view that everyone not nord was lesser.

"Watch where you swing that thing Lizard, that is Jarl Ulfric the true king of Skyrim!" the last human of the trio snapped.

"So it is his fault that we are all on our way to die? I don't give a damn about your war, but really did you need to drag us in with you?" the Drummer muttered, Han-Lei snickered at the tone, this Drummer was not as bad as the others he had met.

"Face your death with honor assassin!" The man snapped, only for the drive to yell for them to shut up.

As they entered the city, everyone was taking in the sight of what they thought would be their death site. All those except the none humans, who were looking around and each planning their own escape routes. Han-Lei casually leaned back resting his hand on his thighs, they may have stripped him of all his weapons and armor, but he was a shadowscale trained killer he was never without weapons.

His claws began fraying the ropes binding his hands, a cough caught his attention and made the feathers on his head quiver. Looking over the Drummer was cough hard into his hands, the base of Han-Lei's back-swept horns itched as his instincts told him to watch, and sure enough the Drummer straightened in his seat a moment later. A glint of steel was the only hint of what happened, the Drummer had clearly picked up an old Argonian trick, hiding something wrapped in a tight oiled cloth swallowed to be coughed up later.

A nod was share by the two non-humans, and they both went back to work of weakening their bindings. By the time the cart reached the headsman's block, both bindings only looked intact, when in fact they could be snapped easily. The coward human ran when his name was called and was shot for it, the list holding human looked at the two non-humans and turned to his captain.

"Names?" A Imperial human asked.

"Steel." "Han-Lei"

"Captain these two aren't on the list, what do we do?" he asked, the Captain glared. "They go to the block!"

"I am sorry we will make sure your remains are returned to your homelands, I am sorry you got caught up in this." This kindness surprised Han-Lei, the Storm cloaks had shown none so far but this imperial had. With his muscles slowly working their way to warmed he approached the growing crowd of those doomed for the block.

###

Steel snapped his bindings and ran the moment the very large dragon landed on the roof and started roaring fire. Unsurprisingly the Argonian Han-Lei was close on his heels, strange indigo scales dully gleaming in the burning light. They raced for a tower, Steel hit the door and tried to open it only to find it locked tight and cursing his lack of lockpicks.

"Move ash-walker!" Was the only warning Steel had before a scaled foot kicked the door hard, shattering the small amount of stone surrounding the lock and kicking the door inward.

"That works." Steel muttered as they raced in, the Storm-Cloak leader and a few of his followers following them in.

The tower shuddered as rubble came down, revealing the sky a floor above them. Han-Lei ran for the opening, Steel following while the Storm-Cloaks stood panicking, Steel trusted this Argonian far more than the Storm-Cloaks for getting out alive. The Argonian ran for the opening, right before he could make it the dragon landed on the tower and looked in the opening. Steel watched shocked as the Argonian just ran faster and leapt over the Dragon's head, barely missing getting scortched.

"Well here goes nothing!" Steel muttered to himself as he ran and leapt over the dragon, narrowly avoiding getting eaten by the snapping jaw.

"By Sithis Ash-Walker you have balls!" The Argonian remarked as Steel landed next to him, Steel looked at him blankly.

"The brotherhood does not permit the weak to join." Steel watched the brow scales rise in surprise.

"Well my brother time to leave, I may be willing to die for our dark lord and unholy matron but I still have a mission to complete so I am not dying here!" Steel gapped at the reveal, this Argonian was a shadowscale.

"Alright let's go!" Steel agreed, together they ran out of the building and through the burning village.

They were nearly in the clear when the beast landed in front of them. "Down!" Han-Lei yelled tackling Steel to the ground, making the claw that should have removed his head only gouge the left side of his face.

"No time to lay there bleeding Ask-Walked, now is time to be running the fuck away!" Han-Lei yelled dragging Steel through a burning house to avoid the dragon.

###

Han-Lei with the help of the imperial who had been kind, dragged Steel into the keep just as the fire from the dragon washed over the doors. Han-Lei laid the Drummer in a near by bed before looking at the imperial who had helped him, the man was carrying a trio of bags with him. One bag Han-Lei knew at once, it was his kit and it was full to bursting, his armor peaking out.

"I would like my bag please, I have medicine in there, I can use it and my magics to get or Ash-Walker back on his feet." Han-Lei asked, Hadvar handed over the bag and Han-Lei began his work.


	2. Chapter 2

Whiterun bound.

Steel groaned as he woke up to a burning on the side of his face, a scaled hand felt his forehead. "Wake Ash-walker the dragon still tries to reduce this place to rubble, and I would rather be somewhere else when that happens." Steel opened his eyes to see the Argonian dressed in the leathers of his brotherhood.

"Alright, but I can't see out of my left eye." Steel informed the pair, the human had a concerned look on his face while Han-lei just rolled his eyes.

"I bandaged it, you will be sporting a scar but you will see just fine, if not better. I know my medicine." Steel raised an eye at that, doubting that it was just medicine that this brother knew.

"Anyway get dressed, we found a door that leads down into the caves below." The human Hadvar told Steel, nodding Steel got up and dressed in his leathers that Han-Lei handed him.

"The human had the brains to grab out gear while he was running for his life, I suggest leaving him alive for now… at least until we are out of the cave, never know when a meat shield is going to be needed." Han-Lei whispered to him, as he helped still into his leathers.

Steel nodded and swung his bag onto his back, Hadvar led the way out of the room and down into the caves. The few StormCloaks they encountered did not last long, Hadvar was a skilled enough warrior but the assassins were the real killers of the trio. Han-Lei hung to the shadows, striking quickly with a razor sharp dagger or his illusions to give Steel a chance to finish them with his own dagger.

Steel smiled under his mask when finished the spiders they encountered, and Han-Lei began harvesting them for the toxins. Steel watched as Hadvar tried outlining the options when they found a sleeping bear, only for Han-Lei to pull out a blow dart tube and load a dart in. A single shot later and Han-Lei stood and strode past the bear not even glancing at it, Hadvar followed quickly but Steel paused and saw that the bear was dead. Steel smiled again, he had guessed that Han-Lei was a poison master, it was a common trait for his race after all.

###

After Hadvar left them, Han-Lei glanced at Steel with a raised brow. "Well what are you going to do now?" Han-Lei asked, Steel shrugged.

"Not much, my chapter of the brotherhood told me to report to the chapter here once my mission was done. That is a problem though, I have no idea where it is and my guide died in the ambush, what about you." Steel answered, Han-Lei nodded.

"I need to deal with a traitor, a contact for my chapter went rouge and sold out the brotherhood. My mission is find and kill him, then wait for contact from the speaker of the skyrim chapter." Han-Lei explained.

"Then might as well travel together for the time being, as we both need to meet the local brothers sometime and my contact is dead." Steel suggested, Han-Lei agreed and the two moved off towards Whiterun where Han-Lei's target lay.

###

Aela the huntress jumped back to avoid the giant's club, she snarled and launched another arrow into it's hand. She hated hunts like this one, there was no honor in fighting a giant with so many warriors. Her group was four strong, Farkas, Vilkas and Kazder. With three warriors you would think that the Giant would go for one of them, but no instead the Giant was trying to crush Aela the only archer of the group.

"This beast is stubborn!" Farkas cheered, Aela opened her mouth to yell at him only Kazder beat her to it.

"This one suggests Farkas shuts his maw, or This one will shut it for him!" Kazder the pure black Khajiit yelled from where he was hacking at the Giant's knee.

Aela notched another arrow, but before she could loose the arrow a pair of fighters ran past her and straight for the Giant. "Draw its attention away from the cat, Ash-Walker!" The indigo colored Argonian yelled to the Drummer elf.

"Make it count scalehead!" The Drummer yelled back, hurling a throwing knife into the eye of the Giant without breaking stride.

Aela watched in midly shock as the Drummer charged the Giant and slashed it's fingers to draw it's attention, while the Giant was busy the Argonian leapt onto Kazder's back and used him to leap onto the Giant's shoulders. The Drummer backed off as soon as the Argonian had landed on the Giant and now stood by Aela. Aela thought he was died when the Giant started flailing around, but the fighter kept his grip and started stabbing the Giant in the shoulder several times before being thrown off. He landed in a crouch at Aela's feet, shaking himself before standing and yelling to the warriors.

"Get back! You would not like to be under that thing when it goes down." Aela was about to call him mad, when the Giant staggered and groaned before falling backwards barely missing Vilkas.

"What did you do, none of those wounds even together would bring it down?" Aela asked impressed, the Argonian showed her a bottle of poison.

"Sage's tears, best thing for removing Giant pests!" Aela smirked at the pun, Farkas and the others came up to speak with the two new comers.

"Poison, that is not a warrior's weapon!" Farkas mocked, Aela waited for the pair of new comers to get mad but they only smirked.

"Sorry sword swing, next time I will wait to use my poison until after the Giant crushes you like a nit." Aela laughed fully at the joke, the Argonian smiled brightly at her.

"Finally someone laughs at my jokes, this one rarely laughs. I am Han-Lei, the Ash-Walker is Steel." Ham-Lei introduce himself.

"Tell better jokes then." Steel told him, Aela smirked at the strange bond the two had.

"Well fought either way, what brings you to whiterun?" Vilkas asked, Aela watched the pair closely, their armors said that their trade was less that moral.

"An ambush by the imperials for the stormcloaks led to us getting a front row seat when a dragon decided to torch Helgen, so we came to bring warning. I am also looking for someone, need to settle a debt he own, on that note do you know where I can find Nazeem?" Aela scowled at the name.

"That bastard can usually be found in the cloud district if he is not in the market looking down on everyone, what is the Debt?" Aela asked, Han-Lei smirked.

"He left a few of my brothers with a large amount of debt when he failed to meet his end of a bargain. I am to remind him of that debt and see that he goes to meet with the collectors." Aela knew that the man was lying about something, but if that bastard died what did she care?

"Very well, if you seek honor and glory come to our mead hall and join us, we can use more skiled hands." Aela offer, Han-lei nodded before he and Steel left to head for the Jarl's palace.

"Kazder thinks that the Argonian will kill Nazeem, they both smelled of death and shadows." Kazder remarked watching the pair leave, Aela nodded and the group headed to go inform their client that the giant was dealt with.


	3. Chapter 3

The Brotherhood never forgets a debt.

Nazeem Entered his home in the cloud district, enjoying the cloying sent of his imported candles. He had been a trader for many years, and while he was good he could barely afford to live in the cloud district let alone have such candles… That was until he had made a deal that had made him richer than he could hope, once he helped the brotherhood move weapons and people across borders, but one little deal with the king of the empire set him up for life.

"Where is my dinner woman?" He yelled out to his house maid, only to be met with silence.

"Where is that lazy woman, I told her to have dinner ready for me!" Nazeem growled to himself as he entered the kitchen and froze, a Drummer elf leaned against his cold hearth.

"The brotherhood never forgets debts we owe and are owed Nazeem." A voice whispered behind him, a club knocked him out before he could turn.

###

Nazeem woke up to a roaring hearth, trying to move found him tied to the chair. Looking around in a panic he saw that the only light was coming from the hearth and a single candle on the table, it was not one of his. It rested in a stand made from a human skull with runes craved into it, at his table sat an Argonian polishing tools of torture and a Drummer sat across from his sharping his daggers.

"Ah your awake, I was beginning to worry that I hit you too hard and I would lose the chance to balance the books." Nazeem went pale at that, he knew that term meant he would receive what those he betrayed had.

"Please, I am sure that we can work something out, I am very wealthy and have the ear of the Jarl!" Nazeem pleaded, only for the offer to cause a cold hissing laughter.

"The night mother sent me to balance the books for our dark father, I will balance them Nazeem starting now." Nazeem screamed as the shadowscale advanced on him, but the wards set by Han-Lei had sound proofed the room so his screams went unheard.

###

Aela and Kazder entered the bannered mare, Aela had lost a bet with Kazder so now she owed him his favorite meal from the mare. Saadie brought them their meal and started chatting with them, Aela saw a pair of figures sitting in the back corner drinking and talking.

"When did those two get here?" Aela asked the maid, Saadie looked at the pair and shrugged.

"Arrived two nights ago and rented a room for a few days. Funny thing is they left yesterday with a bag each and did not return until this morning and slept the day away." Saadie explained, Aela smirked and turned to Kazder.

"Guess you were right." She told the Khajiit. "Right about what?" Saddie asked, Aela looked at her. "That pair mentioned that they were going to remind Nazeem of a debt he owed, and the man took a trip yesterday so I guess they really did manage to convince him to leave and pay the debt." Aela lied.

"Well that bastard never tips, so I hop he gets lost on the way." Saadie remarked before leaving.

###

Steel sat across from Han-lei nursing a mug of ale, the Argonian was drinking a rum and brandy mix that was making him drunk just from the fumes. Steel was not much of a drinker, never having much of a chance really his brotherhood chapter frowned on exposing yourself like that. Han-lei had no such problem it seemed, so after the work of 'balancing the books' was done Han-lei dragged him to the inn for a drink.

"I don't think we should be drinking, it makes you sloppy." Steel complained, taking a sip of the ale because of the lack of another drink.

"Ash-walker I drink after a mission like this because otherwise I am not sleeping tonight, I may be trained for it does not mean I like to make a death slow like that." Han-lei explained darkly, Steel nodded along, having done missions like that himself he knew what the Argonian meant.

"So did you two manage to get the debt squared away?" A female voice broke into Steel's thoughts, cursing himself for being so sloppy he nodded greeting to the pair of warriors that drew level.

"The books have been balanced, Nazeem has left to double check the books, so our job is done." Han-lei said vaguely.

"This one is impressed that you managed to make him pay his debt." Kazder remarked, Han-lei offered them spots that they took Kazder sitting next to Steel.

"I just remined him that debts must be payed, if he had not payed his business would have suffered for it." Han-lei remarked.

"Enough talk like that, I noticed you have come by the hall." Aela said, Steel knew she meant the drinking hall and barracks of her group.

"We have been busy and we are not sure if we would make a good fit." Steel lied easily, Kazder swung an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close.

"You would make a fine shield-brother, trust Kazder he knows talent!" Kazder Proclaimed, clearly already slightly buzzed.

"How about a bet? I win you two tryout you win we drop it?" Aela suggested, a strange gleam in her eye as she challenged them.

"Fine name the game." Han-lei agreed, Aela smirked and signalled for a pair of hard drinks.

"First one to be too drunk to continue loses." Aela challenge, Han-Lei sighed and picked up the mug and downed it in one shot.

"Your deathwish huntress, I don't lose." Han-lei raised an browscale at her, Steel sighed and knew that this was going to end badly.

###

Steel woke the next morning with a head splitting in two from pain, he cursed letting that overgrown cat drag him into drinking with him. Steel tried to roll over only to freeze, a large furry arm was locked around his waist, his rather nude waist. Glancing back, Steel choked, Kazder was sound asleep next to him naked giving Steel an eyeful. The rest of his body began complaining of it's pain and to Steel's horror he knew this soreness very well.

"This one is trying to sleep stop squirming." Kazder sleepily ordered, Steel blushed as bits of last night came back.

"Please tell me that it was just you an me last night?" Steel asked, not wanting to have to deal with a hangover and looking his new partner in the eye if he ended up sleeping with him.

"Aela and the scaled one went into her room to set the bet when it became clear that they would be out of money before one lost. After awhile we decided to settle the bet as well, this one was the victor by the way." Steel glared at the Khajiit.

"I don't recall losing, I recall that at best you tied with me." Steel countered as more of the night came back, Kazder smirked.

"This one has a pair of cure-alls want a rematch?" Kazder taunted, Steel knew that he was being baited, but he also knew that it would be fun.

"Your on, just don't tap out too soon." Steel challenged, Kazder smirked and rolled over to get the bottles from his bedside table.


	4. Chapter 4

First task: Han's secret bares its fangs.

Farkas groaned as someone kicked his bed, rolling over he found Aela looking down at him. "Get up, Kodlak has a task for you." Farkas grumbled but rolled out of bed.

A hour later he was trudging across Skyrim to Dustman's Cairn, he had offered to travel with the two fresh meats he was supposed to be guiding on the test, but they simply dismissed this and left on their own. He finally arrived to find the pair already waiting for him, the Argonian was carefully running a file over his claws while the Drummer was siting on the rocks outside the tomb beside the Argonian sharpening a strange rune etched dagger.

"You two got here fast." Farkas remarked with grudging admiration, Han' Lee shrugged. "Easy to travel swiftly when one does not carry their weight in dragging plate."

"So Aela keeps telling me, come on." Farkas said not rising to the bait, Aela had warned him that the pair had tongues as sharp as their blades.

"All this way for a broken chunk of sword, not even a god forge one at that." Han' Lee grumbled, sticking his file away and shouldering his pack.

"Beats traveling cross the border." Steel replied, Farkas sighed and lead the way into the tomb.

###

Steel and Han' lee led the way through the tomb, slaying the draug before they had a chance to rise. Farkas seemed to be glaring at them in suspicion for some time now, they reached a room that seemed like it was like the rest of the tomb, untouched for years. However, to a pair of assassins trained in killing without leaving a trace, this room showed signs of being used in recent days. Farkas told them to split up and look around for signs of the shard, Steel noticed something off about a lever nearby, a quick look told him that it moved two things but he could not tell which.

Steel pulled the lever and two thing happened at once, a gate at the other side of the room slid open and a gate slammed down blocking his route out of the alcove. Farkas spun and sighed at the sight before him, but Han' Lee tensed like a bow sting drawn, his gaze was zeroed in on the gate that had just opened up. As Farkas told him to stay calm, a group rushed in weapons drawn from the gate that had opened. Steel knew the marking on the armor of the group, the silver hands, werewolf hunters.

"Ha told you the trap would catch one." One of the younger members crowed, the group only had about twelve members present.

"Which one is he?" "Who cares he is wearing that armor so he dies, this will make for a great story!" a pair bantered, Farkas growled in a deep bestial manner that made Steel's hair stand on end. "Shame none of you will be alive to tell it."

The hands charge the man as he suddenly shifted into a large werewolf, Steel was shocked as Farkas tossed two of the hands across the room. The remaining members spread out in a large circle to close in on Farkas and Han' Lee, these ten were clearly much more skilled and prepared to fight a werewolf and a single Argonian. However, Han' Lee suddenly snarled with a voice that was even deeper than what Farkas had done. Steel watched in amazement as the spell lined armor of the Shadowscale melted into his flesh, as it swelled to massive size. The Argonian was a Were-Croc a rare breed of Were and know for being one of the most brutal and savage breeds.

"What in the nine is that!?" A younger member of the hands yelled, only to scream and have it cut short as the massive bipedal Croc bit his head off with callous ease.

When the head hit the floor Steel fainted, before he fully passed out he dimly heard the terrified screams of men dying.

###

Han' Lee spat out the last silver hand's head, with a sigh he let the shift take him. It was always a strange feeling, the bones snapping and cracking as they slide back into their proper places. In seconds the room was silent again, Farkas was looking at him with his sword drawn and pointed at him, Han' Lee scoffed. Ignoring the werewolf he worked on freeing and waking up Steel, who had fainted, a fairly common reaction to seeing a Were-Croc bite a man's head off.

"What in the nine's name are you!?" Farkas demanded as Steel slowly groaned his way back to aware.

"Were-Croc from the blackmarsh, guess your branch silver's have never seen my kind. Well few do and live to tell about it, we are not weak to silver like your breed." Han' Lee calmly explained, Farkas scowled but sheathed his sword and they moved on.


End file.
